It's true, if you have salty or brackish water with a lot of inorganic material in it, you will be pleased with anything that will clean it up and reverse osmosis water units will. But, if you are getting your water from a municipal water system or a chlorinated well; I've got good news for you. There are much cheaper selective filtration systems you can get that will do a better job, and produce healthier water, than reverse osmosis systemes. In this article we will look at each system and how they work, and you can decide what's best for you.
The RO system works by forcing water against what is called a semi-permeable membrane. The membrane's pores are so tiny that any object larger than a molecule of water will not pass through it. Often, water molecules cannot get through either and, usually, this water is simply discarded along with any minerals or contaminants that have been screened. In general, these systems reject two or three gallons of water for every filtered gallon produced.
Some people throughout the US are also dealing with excessive minerals in their water and the fact that RO systems remove these minerals is another reason people have liked them. But, too much of a good thing can be bad.
You see, it seems water with no minerals is not good. That makes sense since nowhere on earth does pure water exist naturally. We need trace minerals like calcium and potassium, for example, in order to stay healthy. And, pure H2O is slightly acidic, so, when we drink this water it will try to get back to a neutral state by stealing minerals such as calcium from our teeth, bones or cells. In this case it produces calcium carbonate as its neutralizing element.
Health experts also tell us that cancer cells seem to grow only in a slightly acidic environment and, for that reason, they feels there is a long-term health risk associated with drinking demineralized water.
When it comes to synthetic organic chemicals (SOCs), they usually have a smaller molecular structure than water, and will pass right through the membrane. These are compounds like herbicides, pesticides, etc. In order to get the dirty SOCs out of the water, RO systems must be used in combination with a carbon filter.
RO systems requires adequate water pressure to force the water against the membrane and, for some users, this may call for the addition of an inline booster pump.
Another requirement of these systems is a storage tank, with a diaphragm to maintain pressure, because most RO systems produce less that one gallon of filtered water per hour. At that rate, without a storage tank, you simply wouldn't have enough clean water for bathing or doing laundry or much of anything else.
All in all, they are bulky units, what with the filter, a storage tank, and, maybe, an extra pump. All of this often means more expense, usually requires a plumber to install, and leads to extra maintenance cost somewhere down the line.
Anymore, I feel like using a RO system where you could have used selective filtration is like hunting flies with a cannon...they're clunky, expensive and give a dangerous result.
Selective filtration is also called multi-stage filtration and it is a good alternative to reverse osmosis.
In selective filtration systems, carbon is mixed with a filter resin that has been chemically charged, and this mixture is then compressed into a solid block that has very small, submicron pores. The carbon, or course, removes chemicals and drugs that might be present in the water.
One cubic foot of this activated charcoal that has been so tightly compressed has the adsorption area of five square miles, according to scientists. The tiny pores filter out tiny, chlorine-resistant, cysts like Cryptosporidium and Guardia and the rest of the surface area scrubs up the chemicals and drugs.
And the chemically charged filter resin...what does that do?
When heavy metal compounds such as mercury or lead come in contact with this resin, their positively charged ions break their bond with water and snap onto the resin like little magnets. Because of the difference in their molecular structure, the lighter metals such as potassium and calcium don't react and remain in the water.
The systems are very compact and uncomplicated looking. They clean the water and leave the good minerals, and they are very quick, so complicated storage tanks, booster pumps, operating electricity, etc. are not needed. And, without all that "stuff", if they are hooked up right, they produce a steady source of good water with very little maintenance.
If you have a really gross water condition to remedy, it is always wise to talk to a technical representative for any filter system you are considering. These techs are great and they almost always have a solution. And, please note, selective filtration is not designed to treat brackish or salty water. - 16492
The RO system works by forcing water against what is called a semi-permeable membrane. The membrane's pores are so tiny that any object larger than a molecule of water will not pass through it. Often, water molecules cannot get through either and, usually, this water is simply discarded along with any minerals or contaminants that have been screened. In general, these systems reject two or three gallons of water for every filtered gallon produced.
Some people throughout the US are also dealing with excessive minerals in their water and the fact that RO systems remove these minerals is another reason people have liked them. But, too much of a good thing can be bad.
You see, it seems water with no minerals is not good. That makes sense since nowhere on earth does pure water exist naturally. We need trace minerals like calcium and potassium, for example, in order to stay healthy. And, pure H2O is slightly acidic, so, when we drink this water it will try to get back to a neutral state by stealing minerals such as calcium from our teeth, bones or cells. In this case it produces calcium carbonate as its neutralizing element.
Health experts also tell us that cancer cells seem to grow only in a slightly acidic environment and, for that reason, they feels there is a long-term health risk associated with drinking demineralized water.
When it comes to synthetic organic chemicals (SOCs), they usually have a smaller molecular structure than water, and will pass right through the membrane. These are compounds like herbicides, pesticides, etc. In order to get the dirty SOCs out of the water, RO systems must be used in combination with a carbon filter.
RO systems requires adequate water pressure to force the water against the membrane and, for some users, this may call for the addition of an inline booster pump.
Another requirement of these systems is a storage tank, with a diaphragm to maintain pressure, because most RO systems produce less that one gallon of filtered water per hour. At that rate, without a storage tank, you simply wouldn't have enough clean water for bathing or doing laundry or much of anything else.
All in all, they are bulky units, what with the filter, a storage tank, and, maybe, an extra pump. All of this often means more expense, usually requires a plumber to install, and leads to extra maintenance cost somewhere down the line.
Anymore, I feel like using a RO system where you could have used selective filtration is like hunting flies with a cannon...they're clunky, expensive and give a dangerous result.
Selective filtration is also called multi-stage filtration and it is a good alternative to reverse osmosis.
In selective filtration systems, carbon is mixed with a filter resin that has been chemically charged, and this mixture is then compressed into a solid block that has very small, submicron pores. The carbon, or course, removes chemicals and drugs that might be present in the water.
One cubic foot of this activated charcoal that has been so tightly compressed has the adsorption area of five square miles, according to scientists. The tiny pores filter out tiny, chlorine-resistant, cysts like Cryptosporidium and Guardia and the rest of the surface area scrubs up the chemicals and drugs.
And the chemically charged filter resin...what does that do?
When heavy metal compounds such as mercury or lead come in contact with this resin, their positively charged ions break their bond with water and snap onto the resin like little magnets. Because of the difference in their molecular structure, the lighter metals such as potassium and calcium don't react and remain in the water.
The systems are very compact and uncomplicated looking. They clean the water and leave the good minerals, and they are very quick, so complicated storage tanks, booster pumps, operating electricity, etc. are not needed. And, without all that "stuff", if they are hooked up right, they produce a steady source of good water with very little maintenance.
If you have a really gross water condition to remedy, it is always wise to talk to a technical representative for any filter system you are considering. These techs are great and they almost always have a solution. And, please note, selective filtration is not designed to treat brackish or salty water. - 16492
About the Author:
David Eastham has done extensive research on such subjects as reverse osmosis to find the best way to get good, clean drinking water. Follow him for his picks as the best dollar for dollar buys, and the best products overall, in home water filtration systems.
